Cheesy Risoni with Chicken Meatballs / Ризони с Сыром и Куриными Тефтелями

A very easy and quite healthy chicken meatballs with cheese and garlic and creamy risoni pasta.
The meatballs are not fried in oil, but instead boiled quickly in chicken stock, which makes them tender and delicious, cuts on calories too. Original recipe called for much more butter. I used just olive oil which was good.

Serves 4

250g risoni pasta
1-1,5 l chicken stock

2 large chicken breasts
4 pieces of stale bread (about 90g)
2 eggs
70-80g parmesan or sharp sheep cheese will also be good + some for garnishing
small bunch of parsley
1 t.s. dried thyme
black pepper and salt to taste
2 garlic cloves

olive oil

Begin by blending all ingredients for the meatballs in food processor. Now make small (about half a table spoon) sized balls. I got 24.

Pour chicken broth into a large pot and wait until it boils. Drop meatballs in three batches into chicken broth and cook during 8 minutes approximately. Take them out.

When all meatballs are ready cook risoni in the same broth until done. I found that adding garlic to the pasta will make the dish even better.

Serve risoni with some olive oil, garlic, chicken meatballs and cheese. Enjoy!

Mafaldine with Mushrooms and Aubergine/ Паста с Грибами и Баклажаном

It was quite a while ago that I tried new pasta recipe at home. But this one touched my soul so much!:) All those flavours are just exactly what I like. So I have to share the recipe here!

Earthy flavours of mushrooms, aubergine and walnuts combine so well in this easy to prepare pasta. Recipe is adapted from Dutch cooking magazine.

app.250g mafaldine or other type of pasta
app.200g mixed mushrooms
1 aubergine
1 clove garlic
salt, black pepper
t/s/ balsamic vinegar
dried oregano, 1t.s.
handful chopped walnuts
olive oil
Pecorino or other sharp cheep cheese

Heat water to cook pasta.
Thinly slice aubergine and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
Coarsely chop mushrooms.
Pour olive oil into frying pan and add aubergine stripes. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add mushrooms and garlic.
Add pasta into boiling water and cook for about 9 minutes, until al dente.
Sprinkle mushrooms and aubergine with oregano and season to taste. Add balsamico.
Divide pasta between plates and add hot mushrooms. Sprinkle with cheese and walnuts.

Pasta with Tomato, Spinach and Pesto/ Паста с Томатами, Шпинатом и Песто

Satisfying and delicious pasta. It won't take a lot of time to prepare, and you are going to enjoy every component of it, because they combine great here. It's healthy too!

For two or three:

250g dried pasta (better flat and large)
2 large tomatoes, cubed
1 tb.s. tomato paste + 0,5 cup water
bunch of spinach, about 200g
2 garlic cloves
half an onion
salt
sugar
black pepper
olive oil
some ricotta

For pesto:

2tb.s.olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
1,5 tb.s. pine nuts
small bunch of basil, about 20g
1tb.s. grated parmesan


On olive oil cook garlic and onion for about 2-3 minutes, until just golden, add tomatoes and cook 4-5 minutes. The pour water with tomato paste in it, season to taste and cook, covered, for approximately 15 minutes. In the end add torn spinach.

For pesto blend chopped garlic, nuts, then add basil and slowly pour olive oil into it, season to taste.

Cook pasta. Drain, mix it with tomato-spinach sauce and divide between plates. Add pesto to each plate and some ricotta. Enjoy!

Creamy Walnut Sauce Pasta/Паста с Ореховым Соусом

Very tasty nutty-creamy-cosy pasta, though without cream in it. Some extra protein is always welcomed:) The recipe belongs to Nigella Lawson, I made only small changes.

I took tortiglioni, though flat pasta was recommended
olive oil
2 garlic cloves
salt
black pepper
small handful toasted walnuts
1 thinly sliced bread soaked in
app.50ml milk
oregano
parmigiana

Cook pasta. Reserve some of the water.
Place walnuts (reserve several for garnishing) , soaked in milk bread, garlic, oregano in blender and pulse until creamy. Add olive oil and some of the reserved pasta water. Toss pasta in sauce and serve with nuts and parmesan.

Pasta Salad with Lemon zest and Pistachio /Салат с Пастой, Лимонной цедрой и Фисташками

Fresh and light spring salad. Bright colours, simple, yet very tasty and fragrant. I am using whole wheat pasta.

cooked pasta (here fusilli) (could be good way to dispose leftover pasta)
rucola
zest of 1/3 lemon
thinly sliced red pepper (half)
handful toasted pistachios
grated sharp sheep cheese
olive oil
lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl, sprinkle with nuts and cheese and pour dressing over, made from olive oil and lemon juice.

Creamy Penne with Garlic/ Сливочные Пенне с Чесноком

This is an absolutely delicious creamy pasta without cream actually. So easy and quick- perfect for me!
I use whole wheat penne here, to make it more healthy...well, you should know me by now:)

ww penne for two
handful roasted pepitas
1 egg yolk
2 garlic cloves
some olive oil
dried or fresh basilicum
parmesan or sharp sheep cheese - optional

Cook pasta till al dente. In the meantime on frying pan heat olive oil, add chopped garlic and heat it through, one minute approximately.
When pasta is cooked, drain it and transfer to oil and garlic. Add egg yolk and stir well. The yolk will be almost cooked, so I would not worry about raw egg. Add basilicum, divide between plates, garnish with pepitas and cheese if desired.

Roasted Pumpkin Pasta with Meatballs/Паста с Запеченой Тыквой и Тефтельками

This pasta is quite light as I replaced part of cheese with yogurt, and it came out still very tasty.

app.500g pumpkin, cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt, black pepper

250g ground beef
small onion
1 garlic clove
black pepper
salt
lemon juice
1 egg

Preheat oven to 190C. Place pumpkin pieces, onion wedges on baking dish, sprinkle with oil and vinegar, season and roast for about 30 minutes, at the end add garlic.

Mix all ingredients for the meatballs, form small balls and fry them from both sides on olive oil.

Cook pasta al dente, sprinkle with olive oil, add vegetables and about 1-2 t.s. yogurt per plate, sprinkle with Parmesan, preferred herbs (here dill) and serve with the meatballs!

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes and Pasta/Запеченные Фаршированные Помидоры и Паста

Such a nice dish! Very fragrant and juicy pasta. Serve tomatoes on top of the pasta, so that you could mix everything together to create kind of sauce.

4 large tomatoes
1 cup breadcrumbs
3 and 2 more garlic cloves
olive oil
2tb.s. sharp grated cheese
black pepper
parsley
pasta/here linguine

Cut the tops off tomatoes, scrape out the inside flesh. Sprinkle tomatoes with balsamico, mix cheese, crushed garlic, crumbs and 3-4tb.s. olive oil. Fill in tomatoes.
Place them into baking dish, sprinkle with some parsley and bake at 175C about 30-40 minutes.
Cook pasta, drain, drizzle with olive oil and crushed garlic cloves. Serve with tomatoes.*
*For those, who like meat- add pieces of fried bacon on top

Ricotta Gnocchi with Garlic/Творожные Клецки (Ньокки) с Чесноком

For those, who like cheesy stuff this can become one of the favourites even. Nice warm lunch, for a change...I mean myself, we normally have sandwiches or something similar:)

1.5cups ricotta cheese
almost one cup flour
1 egg yolk
some salt
1/4 cups grated sharp sheep cheese
2 garlic cloves
butter for frying

Mix ricotta and yolk, add cheese and flour, mashed garlic. Quickly knead and divide into 4 parts. Carefully roll each into long stick, cut into small pieces.
Boil in batches for 4-5 minutes, take out and place on baking paper to dry up.
Heat butter on frying pan, fry gnocchi on each side until golden.
Serve with peperonata, for example.

Pasta with Peppers and Cottage Cheese/Паста с Перцем и Творогом

Quick, fresh and healthy pasta.

linguine for 2 persons                            
3 bell peppers (green)
1 large tomato
parsley
paprika flakes olive oil
basil
cottage cheese/ricotta

Cook pasta. On frying pan in olive oil cook peppers for several minutes, add tomato, basil. Cook until vegetables are tender, add spices. Let it cool a bit, blend to create paste, add olive oil, if necessary .
Mix pasta with pepper paste and add some olive oil to taste, serve!

Chicken Ragu with Pasta/Рагу из Курицы с Пастой

We had two rainy days lately, well, autumn is coming soon and suddenly your preferences in food change. We want more energy, we pick cosy dishes. This is one of such foods. Use chicken thighs for this recipe, in any case not just breast.

app.300-400g chicken thighs
1 onion, thick slices
1 big carrot
1 big bell pepper
1 large tomato
thyme
basil
garlic
red pepper powder
bay leave
chicken stock
app.100ml red dry wine
app.250-300g any pasta
some flour
salt

Sprinkle chicken pieces in salt, black pepper and some flour. On olive oil and some butter fry meat from both sides. Take it out.
Add onion, garlic, carrot and bay leave to the frying pan, when they are a little bit golden, return the chicken and pour wine. Wait, until it evaporates, then pour stock over and lower the gas. Now add spices, cover and simmer until the meat is ready.
In the meanwhile cook pasta. Drain, drizzle with olive oil and serve with the chicken ragu.

Pasta with almond and parsley

We really liked this pasta, I had to share this recipe with you also!

200g your favourite pasta
small bunch of parsley
small handful of crushed almonds
app.70-90g sheep cheese
olive oil
butter
rind of half a lemon
2 garlic cloves

Cook pasta till al dente. Heat olive oil and butter, add garlic and almonds and fry until golden, add chopped parsley and peel, pasta and cheese, stir and serve.

Pasticcio - baked tortiglioni with minced meat and vegetables

A very similar to lasagna, when you don't have lasagna pasta at hand. Just make sure you've got some tubular medium sized pasta.

app.300g pasta
1 can (400ml) peeled and diced tomatoes
2 small carrots
1 big garlic clove
1 small onion
100ml red wine
app.250g minced beef
salt, pepper, paprika
oregano
olive oil
app.250-300ml milk
some flour
parmesan

On some olive oil fry beef, add vegetables and simmer 3-5 minutes, add wine, wait until almost evaporated, ad tomatoes and season. Cook for about 7 minutes.
Cook pasta till al dente, grease small baking form, cover with bread crumbs, lay pasta on the bottom, atop with the sauce. Cook beshamel sauce- milk+flour+butter+parmesan. Pour over the dish.
Bake at 190C for 30 minutes.

Vegetable lasagne with ricotta

A very tasty summer vegetable dish.

6 sheets lasagne
olive oil
3 small zuccini (grated)
1 carrot (grated)
2 garlic cloves
salt
paprica flakes
1 green pepper
250g ricotta
2 big tomatoes
1tbs. tomato paste+ water

In a frying pan on medium hight heat cook carrot, garlic, zuccini and green pepper until they are soft. Oil medium sized form, place 2 sheets of pasta, sprinkle with sauce+tomatoes, distribute some of the vegetables mixed with ricotta, then another layer of pasta, filling...the last layer will be pasta, sprinkle with sauce and parmesan.

bake for 30 minutes at 170C.

Easy spaghetty with neapolitan sauce/Легкие Спагетти с Неаполитанским соусом

Very tasty and simple

200g spaghetti
2 large tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 medium green pepper
black pepper, salt
butter
parlsey

Cook spaghetti al dente. On butter cook tomatoes, garlic, add pepper and simmer for several minutes (about 10 minutes), add some water if it gets too thick.
Serve pasta with sauce, parsley and parmesan to taste.

Pasta with Peas and Ricotta/Паста с горошком и рикоттой

Very light and fresh pasta.

pasta app.200g
olive oil
smoked sausage app.100g
2 thin leeks
2 garlic cloves
app.200g frozen peas
app.100ml chicken stock
100g firm ricotta or cottage cheese
parmesan
lemon rind

Cook pasta.
In a pan on olive oil fry leeks and garlic, add sausage, then peas and stock, simmer for about 5-7 minutes, add lemon rind.
Serve hot with sauce and cheeses.

Aubergine and sheep cheese tortiglioni

Just very good combination, and very easy as well.

2 small aubergines, cut into small chunks
2 big tomatoes
1 small onion
dry basil
tortiglioni or penne (for 2)
olive oil
sheep cheese

Cook pasta. On olive oil fry aubergine pieces and onion, add tomatoes, basil and season to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes, serve with pasta and cheese cubes.

Malfatti with tomato sauce

A very tasty dish and so easy to make!

app.300g ricotta
app.400g spinach
2 eggs
some salt
parmesan 25 g
about a cup of flour (just as much as needed to be able to shape the dough)
semolina for dusting

Sauce:
2 tomatoes
tomato paste 1 tb.s.
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion, chopped
basil
some salt, pepper
1 tb.s. lemon rind

Mix in a bowl ricotta, eggs, then add (dry) spinnach and flour. Shape into small balls (chestnut size) and dust them with semolina.
Let them rest for an hour in room temperature.
Sauce: on olive oil cook onion, garlic, add tomatoes, season and cook for about 10 minutes.
Cook malfatti in salted water for 2-3 minutes, when they start floating on the serface, take them out. Serve wth the sauce.

Penne with leeks, spinach and cheese

Very easy spring pasta.

250g penne
handful spinach
app.200g leeks (sliced)
2 full tb.s. light cream cheese
parmesan
salt, pepper
sun dried tomatoes app. 4-5 halves

Cook penne al dente. On oil fry leeks for 3 minutes, add cream cheese and some hot water to dissolve it, season, after couple of minutes add spinach and tomatoes, put aside.
Mix penne with vegetables and sprinkle with parmesan.

Pennette with beetroot

Healthy, full of color and tastry pasta

2 small beetroots
pasta
olive oil
salt, black pepper
orange juice
sheep cheese

Bake beetroot in a baking dish with some water on the bottom and covered with foil at 200C for 45 minutes.
Take the beetroot out, peel, cut into thin wedges.
Cook pasta until al dente, drain, add some olive oil, season, mix with beetroot slices and cheese. Serve.